Chapter Text
When Lan Xichen had first decided to venture into the field of pediatric medicine he had thought it the perfect career for himself. Coming from a family of mostly private school teachers, university professors, and other prestigious educators who took guiding the wayward youth of today back to the straight path extremely seriously – a noble career, but not one he had any interest in for himself – he had believed that a more caretaking approach wouldn't be such a crass deviation.
Medicine in itself was a lucrative and noble enough field to satisfy the moral high ground the elder members of their family believed themselves to reside on, while feeding his own selfish need to care for someone small and helpless. It was his own mostly inconsequential rebellion, the tiny bit of defiance one needed to carve their place in life, yet still remain within the good grace of the more traditional and conservative family members.
He had always been good at that. Compromising.
Unlike his little brother who had always been a more extreme, straightforward, all-or-nothing person. Xichen admired it the same amount as it worried him. He knew the pain that approach had caused a-Zhan, but he also knew that compromising would have been so much worse for his honest-to-a-fault baby brother. A-Zhan would only suffer on the golden middle road that was neither here nor there, always forcing himself to swing between duty to his family and his own desires.
Xichen knew his brother had secretly wanted a career in concert music and had the talent for it in spades. However, performing had nothing to do with pedagogy, and thus had been out of the question. Instead he was told to pick an educational occupation suited to him – any occupation, as a way of their uncle's compromise – and that in turn led him on the path of an elementary school teacher. But he was happy, so Xichen accepted his choice. Their uncle was less enthusiastic about it but since a-Zhan had done exactly what uncle had wanted from him, he couldn't say anything.
As for Xichen's own choice, their uncle had taken it surprisingly in stride, probably having already guessed that a path in education simply wouldn’t be suitable for Xichen.
Now, years later, with his own private practice and vast clientele, Xichen found himself quite content at how things had turned out. Because of his familial background, plenty of wealthier families entrusted him with the health of their smallest members, which in turn allowed him to take a substantial amount of other patients pro bono. Sure, insurance was mandatory and covered a lot of things, but not everything. Although Xichen didn't have the experience himself, he knew that any amount of money saved for those of lesser financial means than him was potentially life saving. Over the years he had worked with many social workers, foster and adoptive parents, guardians, group homes, halfway houses and various other care facilities and had built himself quite the reputable name, if he dared to say so himself.
So when his nurse decided to go and have a little one of her very own it was both a happy and sad occasion.
Nurse Luo – or Luo-jie, as he liked to call her off the clock – was easily one of the best nurses in pediatric care, if not the best. Having her as a colleague was a blessing, except when she wasn't there and he was acutely aware of how much he depended on her exacting work ethic and unwavering competence. Lan Xichen was sad to report that none of the substitutes during her short maternal leave were an adequate replacement, albeit temporal. He rejoiced when she returned, even if it was only part time. Of course he understood that her newfound little family needed her and made peace with the prospect of finding a second nurse to work the afternoons. On account of all his previous experiences, he expected the search to take longer. Then again, he hadn't known Luo-jie would have a suitable candidate on hand when she hadn't had one before her leave.
"He's an old friend from high school," she said, startling him with the unexpected pronoun. "He broke off med school to help his family out, and now he's freshly out of nursing school. I know he may lack actual experience, but he's great with kids and has been through the foster system, so he can relate. He even comes recommended by Doctor Wen Qing."
As far as Lan Xichen was aware, Doctor Wen was impossible to impress.
It didn't look very convincing on paper: a former med student with a semester’s worth of studies and a three year gap in his CV, freshly out of school, applying for a job that demanded an amount of sensitivity usually found in more maternal figures. But that was Doctor Wen's signature on the letter of recommendation and Luo-jie rarely spoke so highly of anyone, even less so if they were of the male half of the populace, so Lan Xichen felt his curiosity sufficiently piqued to at least set aside time for an interview.
Which was how he found himself sitting across one Wei Ying.
He didn't quite know what to make of the fellow.
"I know, I know." Wei Ying spoke with a jovial voice, but avoided excessive gesturing, hands instead clasped tightly together, restraining what Xichen believed to be the usual jitters. "I'm fresh out of school and lack experience…"
His dark eyes seemed sad, the lines around them tight, but the wide smile on his face and the cheerful tone felt genuine. His posture was rigidly straight but his voice was even as he spoke. His long hair was neatly braided but there were visible piercing holes in his ears. His burgundy shirt was crisply ironed, tucked into black slim fit pants that weren't jeans, yet had a silver chain with a single bell charm hanging from them. He was full of contradictions and he held all of them tightly to his chest.
"Me and my brother used to work at a resort during our summer holidays as animators when we were still in high school, so I'm great with kids," he continued even as Xichen felt his blood pressure go up at that statement. There were far too many of those who thought knowing how to engage kids with fun games for a couple hours made them qualified to care for them. "I'm my best friend's favorite babysitter."
Well, why not test that out then?
"Do you know how to change a diaper?" It was a question Xichen had learned to ask every candidate. Although it wasn't a skill they needed often, it was a skill Xichen thought anyone who wished to pursue a career in a place frequented by infants and toddlers should be interested in learning before putting in their application. If they didn't, he felt justified in doubting their accomplishments.
"I, uh, what?" The dark doe eyes boggled just as Xichen had expected. What he hadn't expected was what came next. "Of course I know how to change a diaper!"
Lan Xichen felt his own eyes widen in disbelief.
"What?" Wei Ying's smile crooked up sideways. "Is it that surprising?"
"A little," Lan Xichen admitted with a nod. He must have seemed curious because the young man smiled in something akin to amusement and explained:
"My best friend, she lives with her whole family in a lilong downtown. There's this kid..." The smile turned fond and it took years away from him, which Xichen hadn't realized he had seen in those tense lines. It made him look almost endearing, in an open, vulnerable way, and for a moment Xichen was able to glimpse an excited teenager playing with children in a pool or a playground.
"His parents died a few years back," Wei Ying continued. "He's been in the care of the grandmother since. He's four now, but back before I entered training I often helped to take care of him since I had the time and… well. I really owe them. They helped me out when I was going through some hard times, I could at the very least look after their kid. Besides, he's the most adorable angel there is."
He was glowing now, his smile warm and bright yet so very gentle. It passed quickly enough. Wei Ying, having caught himself, let more cheek seep into his expression. "So yes, I know how to change a diaper, what the best teething toys are and I can think of at least ten lullabies and five nursery rhymes at the top of my head."
Xichen found himself smiling. "That already puts you ahead of the last three substitutes I had."
An amused snort came from Wei Ying.
"Yeah, Mian… I mean Luo Qingyang mentioned it was bad." There was a slight fumble mid sentence as Wei Ying corrected himself, probably for an old nickname that Xichen wasn't privy to. He didn't mind. It made Wei Ying feel real, like a person with a past instead of an enigma shaped like a human.
Speaking of the past… "I would like to talk about the time before you entered nursing school, if that's okay."
"Ah, uhm..." He watched the easy smile falter, hands clasped in a grip that must have been painful. It seemed this was a sensitive topic. "Yeah, sure we can talk about that."
"I merely wish to understand the situation more clearly." Xichen tried to reassure him but without apparent success. "You went to med school for one semester when you decided to take a sabbatical. Nurse Luo mentioned there was a family related issue. Is that correct?"
"I, uhm, yeah." The grip didn't lessen and for a brief moment he averted his gaze, as if unsure of his answer. "Yeah, that's correct."
It was a strangely intense reaction, but Xichen could understand uncomfortable subjects and a discontinued diploma would be one for many people. However this was a matter he couldn't just pass without at least getting a rough idea of the reasons behind it.
"After it was resolved, why didn't you go back to university?" He asked. Wei Ying's gaze was now trained on his knees, smile turned strangely sad. "As far as I'm aware your grades were rather good."
"Ah… I really couldn't," Wei Ying said, wringing his hands and all of a sudden carefully weighing every word.
"I went to med school because I wanted to help… I wanted to help people." This, Xichen realized as Wei Ying met his gaze squarely, was one hundred percent unadulterated truth. There had been a hesitance in the middle when he had seemed in search of words to explain the complicated and all-too-familiar need to care for people whose names you were likely to forget a second later. However he found no deceit in those dark, doe eyes thus settled for that simple fact and listened as Wei Ying continued. "My foster parents, who had been kind enough to take me in when I had nowhere to go, agreed to pay for it. But then, ah. Then there was a fire and they both died."
Oh. Oh, Xichen had not expected that.
"I'm sorry," he said, genuinely. It was no wonder it was such a sensitive topic.
Wei Ying only shook his head, swallowing once before he continued.
"My little brother was in a coma, and my sister was still in training. They needed every penny and... How can I help other people if I can't help my own family?" He looked up again, eyes alight with a strange fire. Xichen didn't know how to answer or whether he even should and the moment passed. Wei Ying looked at his hands again in their tight and white knuckled clasp. "It took me a while to get back on track and by then med school seemed way too time consuming and still way too expensive even with a stipend. It was my sister who suggested nursing school."
"Your sister?" Xichen frowned as he turned the page of the CV, recalling something about a sister mentioned somewhere.
"Jiang Yanli," Wei Ying nodded. "She's a nurse in pediatric oncology. She works at the Riverside Hospital."
"Same as Doctor Wen," he said, realizing the connection as he spoke.
"Mh," Wei Ying hummed, looking at his hands again. He looked uncomfortable once more, as if half of medical personnel didn't get their jobs by connections and nepotism. Besides, it didn't change the fact that Doctor Wen's favor was hard to gain, whether you were family or not. Xichen had to admit he still found that kind of personal pride oddly refreshing. Wei Ying continued by changing the topic, bringing them back to the matter at hand. "Just as I finished nursing school, Luo Qingyang mentioned you were hiring, so I thought I'd try my luck."
He didn't fumble at her name again and managed a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The tight lines were back, now accompanied by a tension around the corner of his lips, a wry curve that Xichen couldn't quite place so he focused on the interview again. He still had a few more questions.
"You know each other from high school?" He asked mostly just to confirm what Luo-jie had already told him.
"Yeah." Wei Ying nodded. "She was… is one of my dearest friends."
Xichen turned the page and remembered something else he had wanted to bring up. "You have indicated that you suffer from arrhythmia?"
"Permanent atrial fibrillation, as a consequence of the smoke inhalation." Wei Ying nodded again. "My blood pressure is within the norm of the condition, and I have a prescription that I take twice a day."
"What kind?" Not that Xichen knew much about heart conditions for that information to have much relevance. He decided to call it occupational disease and listened to Wei Ying.
"Metoprolol tartrate, fifty milligrams," Wei Ying answered anyway and oddly enough seemed to relax, as if this was a far easier topic than that of his past. Going by what little he knew, Xichen supposed it was fair. "I'm fine. Sometimes I get winded and the odd nosebleed here and there, mostly from the meds, but that's it. Honestly, I should be exercising more, so don't hesitate to put me to work."
Some of his cheer returned to his voice and involuntarily, Xichen smiled. "You can start right away, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct," Wei Ying said pleasantly.
"Is Monday alright?"
Across from him, Wei Ying went completely still.
A heartbeat of utter silence later there was a choked sound and stuttering. "I uhm, uh, I… what? Mon… Monday? As in this Monday or Monday in general?"
Xichen frowned in confusion. "If it's on too short notice we can schedule it for the week after, but it's inconvenient for me to wait much longer than that."
Wei Ying's eyes widened to approximately saucer size.
"No, that's… I…" he stammered. "Aren't there other candidates you need to review? Surely I can't be the only one!"
"Of course there are other candidates, but why would I be wasting my time with them?" Xichen honestly didn't understand. "I don't see why I should put myself through a long hiring when I just found a suitable candidate. I need you now, not next month, so if you're not up to the task…"
"I am!" Wei Ying went ramrod straight in his seat. He must have realized he had spoken a little too loudly because he repeated himself in a much more subdued manner, "I am. I guess I just… didn't expect it to go this fast. I mean, what if the perfect candidate is waiting for you in an interview next week? I mean…"
He blushed in embarrassment and shrunk a little on himself, which made Xichen frown even more. He certainly didn't lack the ability according to his CV, so his lack of confidence was somewhat worrisome. Xichen needed someone who knew what they were doing and there was no ability in the world that would give you the assurance if you couldn't believe it yourself.
"I don't need anyone perfect," he said, meeting Wei Ying's increasingly panicked look. "I need someone who's sure they want this job and knows they can do it well. You were the first to apply and came highly recommended. If you don't believe you can do it…"
"I do, I want this job. I'm good at what I'm doing, I…" Xichen must have looked at him in a particular way because he wavered for a brief moment before his expression settled on sheepish. "I'm just not used to things being this easy. You startled me, Doctor Lan, I apologize. Monday is fine."
Xichen eyed him for a long moment. He didn't look as convinced as Xichen would have preferred but he held his gaze without faltering. As for Xichen… he'd seen enough foster kids in his life to understand they carried too much weight with themselves to always appear well-adjusted. He usually didn't make a habit of judging people when they slipped, and he couldn't help it, he found the openness of this young man kind of endearing. There was something vulnerable about him that he knew children would love, his smile was bright, he laughed easily, he knew how to change a diaper, had first hand experience with foster care and his grades and recommendations spoke for themselves. The insecurities could be dealt with in time. Maybe he needed this job as much as Xichen needed him. Maybe this could be mutually beneficial for them both, and wasn't that the best kind of professional relationship?
"Perfect," Xichen said and found himself smiling. "As you're aware, it's a part time contract. Your usual work hours will be twelve to six, but for the first week I'd like you to come in at ten so that nurse Luo has more time to school you in. Naturally, you will be compensated for overtime. Is this alright with you?"
"Oh, yes, of course." His eyes sparkled happily as he nodded and Xichen almost laughed. Everyone loved overtime compensation.
"I believe that's all from my side." He put down the papers and shuffled them into a neat stack. "Do you have any questions?"
"Not at the moment but I'm sure they'll come." Their eyes met and they exchanged a smile.
"Well, when they do, don't hesitate to ask them." They both stood up and Xichen extended his hand with a smile. "I'll see you on Monday, nurse Wei."
"Yeah." Wei Ying smiled like he still couldn't believe it and squeezed his hand with a gentle but sure grip. "I'll see you on Monday."
Xichen's excitement lasted until Wei Ying reached the door.
He reached for the doorknob but never turned it.
"Wei Ying?" Xichen looked up from his desk. "Did you forget something?"
"Ah!" He seemed to startle as if he didn't even realize he had frozen. "No, I… I just… I."
"Wei Ying?"
"I'm sorry." There was a long exhale, much like a sigh. "I can't do this."
When he turned around there was an almost manic fire in his eyes that made Xichen's heart pound faster, but not in a pleasant way.
"I'm sorry, you're so nice and I really wanna work for you but… not like this." Xichen was about to ask what this was about but Wei Ying beat him to it: "I lied."
The admittance shocked Xichen. He opened his mouth to ask but Wei Ying seemed to have no plan on letting him get a word in once more.
"Those three years, I wasn't helping my family." Wei Ying swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Xichen realized he was holding his breath. "I was in prison."
He… what?
For a moment the world went fuzzy, all color and noise like a haunted nursery. When it shifted back to focus, Wei Ying was still talking. Xichen barely caught a few words.
"The fire… My fault… I understand… A felon anywhere near traumatized kids… I'm sorry for wasting your time."
When his senses fully returned to him, Wei Ying was gone.
– ♪ ♩ ♬ –
Two weeks and an amount of interviews that felt neverending later Xichen still didn't know how he felt about the entire interaction with Wei Ying. There was something about it that deeply upset him although he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Had he been that wrong in his judgment? Wei Ying had seemed so bright and honest, a cheerful young man who knew – really knew – what he was doing.
"I know my experience puts me at the back end of the list…" The youthful voice dragged him back to the present moment but only under protest. It was Friday of a long week, one measured by the dreadfulness of these interviews, all of them the same. "… But I lead when it comes to my love for kids!"
Young, female, in their early twenties, fresh out of nursing school, thinking they were applying for an easy job.
"Do you know how to change a diaper?" Xichen pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and waited for the inevitable splutter.
"I, uh… no?" And sure enough, there it was, followed by a graceless save, "But I sure can learn!"
"Thank you," Xichen said, closing the folder in front of him. "I will let you know once I've made a decision."
She rose rocking forward and left with a bounce in her step. Any shorter and her skirt could be used as a headband. Xichen wanted to go home and curl up with his boyfriend. Once the door closed behind her, he let out a groan and, in an unbecoming moment of weakness, let his head fall on his desk with a dull thud. He didn't even register when the door opened again until there was a softer thud right next his ear and the smell of fresh coffee permeated the air.
He lifted his head and was greeted by the wry smile of his nurse, carrying her own steaming mug.
"Thank you." He gestured for her to sit down and took in her appearance as she did.
Nurse Luo was now working the first week of her return at nine hour days instead of her promised six. She did so without complaint, insisting that her husband was fine being on child duty for the while. Xichen felt like he had failed her.
"I'm sorry," she said, startling him.
"What for?" He asked, genuinely confused.
She bit her lip before she answered. "My recommendation gave you trouble. I'm sorry for that."
Xichen hummed in thought, pulling a little at the papers beneath the folder of applications, where that one CV lived. A blue sticky note was attached to it, with a smiley below a few bullet points, all of them ticked off. A bright face with two doe eyes was grinning at him from the photo.
"If I didn't believe he'd be good for this position I wouldn't have recommended him," nurse Luo murmured, sipping her coffee.
Xichen suddenly found himself curious.
"What made you think of him? You know of his... past?" He waited for the confirming nod. "Then why?"
"Because he's a good nurse," came the simple answer. "Yes, he made a mistake and believe me, no one is more aware of that than him. That doesn't mean he has to pay for it for the rest of his life."
Xichen tapped the paper in a brief moment of thought.
"Tell me more about him," he said. "About the situation. What happened?"
Luo-jie took another sip of her coffee, staring into it as she gathered her thoughts.
"We knew each other in high school," she finally said with a nostalgic smile on her face. "We even dated for a little while, through senior year and the first semester of university."
Xichen wasn't sure whether he should be surprised or should have guessed.
"Ah, it's not like that!" She exclaimed when she noticed his smile.
"I didn't think that." He shook his head. "You just rarely date men."
With the exception of her husband, all people Luo-jie had shown romantic interest in – that Xichen knew of – were women. Xichen had no problem with this, his own sexuality remaining very broadly defined and encompassing many types. He only knew about Luo-jie's bisexuality because curiosity had gotten the better of him one time, and he had asked. Thus he knew that while she was technically interested in men, she rarely dated them because she almost always found them very disappointing partners. If a guy caught her attention, it was safe to assume he was different.
"He's a good guy." She shrugged. "Kind, attentive and caring. We only broke up because he didn't want me to wait for him till he got out, probably a different person than the one who went in."
"Would you have?" Xichen asked. "Waited?"
"The crazy thing is, I probably would have. Had he asked." She chuckled without humor. "But Wei Ying would never ask something like that. He's selfless like that. But if he wasn't, he wouldn't have gone to prison in the first place, so that's neither here nor there."
"What do you mean?" Xichen frowned, not understanding what Luo-jie was saying.
"His foster family… They weren't crazy rich, but one could say quite well off," she said after a few seconds of contemplative silence. "Well enough to pay a good lawyer. The evidence against him was circumstantial at best. The day the fire broke out there were two other people in the house with him, both of them smokers. Any lawyer worth their money would have had him cleared of charge within five minutes. His sister would have never allowed him to go to court undefended."
"Then how...?" Xichen didn't understand.
"He confessed," Luo-jie said with another humorless, dry laugh, completely frying Xichen's brain. "Both of his foster parents were killed in the fire, his little brother was still in high school for another year, his sister in nursing school for the next two. He insisted that every single yuan they owned would be used to assure their survival. He'd rather face a prison sentence than burden his family."
Xichen was speechless. The vague thought went through his mind that not a lot of what Wei Ying had told him had been a lie.
"He's an idiot." Luo-jie's eyes were shining in the late light of the afternoon as she met his gaze squarely. "One with a heart made of gold, and loyal to the grave. I don't want to tell you who to hire, but I guarantee you won't find anyone better suited for the job than him."
– ♪ ♩ ♬ –
"You're an idiot."
Wei Ying didn't look up. He didn't have to. The soft clack of her flats against the floor as she came in, the subsequent tap of her bare feet against the same as she slipped out of them, and the pause at the door to the kitchen where he sat slumped against the dining table with his head between his folded arms gave her away long before she spoke.
"Wen Qing," he moaned and decidedly didn't think about the interview at the local convenience store he had returned from an hour ago. "Please."
There was a barely concealed sigh and the combined thud and rattle of her keys as she threw them at the table. He'd have to hang them on the hook by the shoe rack later or else she'd forget them tomorrow.
"You went to nursing school exactly because most doctors don't perform background checks." The scrape of a chair, the rustle of clothes and another, duller thud. "Because it was supposed to be easier."
"I know…" Wei Ying moaned again and finally lifted his head. His best friend regarded him with the scowl he knew was actually her worried look. "But… He was so nice and he was willing to hire me on the spot and I… couldn't. I can't build my whole new life on a lie, Wen Qing."
She sighed again, this time louder and for a few seconds that was all the sound between them that was.
"Did you eat?" Wei Ying finally looked away. "There are garlic pork chops in the fridge. I made them before the interview."
He realized, on an intellectual level, that he was deflecting. It didn't stop him from doing it. Besides, her residency and post-grad specialization in pediatric oncology kept Wen Qing busy and stressed enough. The last thing she needed was to worry about food. Between him, granny, and Wen Ning they had it covered, but Wen Ning was in school and granny at the doctor’s office and he had felt anxious before the interview. It was a good thing he had, because as soon as he asked, Wen Qing's stomach roared like the engine of a monster truck pushed beyond its limit. Wei Ying couldn't hold back the chuckle. When she gave him one of her looks, he quickly got up.
"I'll heat it," he said, zeroing in on the fridge. He felt her eyes burning a hole in his back, but managed to successfully ignore it.
"Did you eat?" She asked as soon as he opened the fridge.
"Ah…" He rubbed the side of his nose sheepishly. When he turned around, her eyes were narrowed and he relented. "I wasn't hungry after the interview. There's enough for an army."
He added the last part as he took out the container in a quiet offer, in assurance that he wasn't starving himself as a punishment or as an apology for yet another failure to get himself a job. She took it.
"I'll eat if you will," her voice sounded unexpectedly soft. He froze for the briefest of moments. His own stomach chose that exact second to make the same sound as Wen Qing's had not one minute ago. He still didn't have much of an appetite, but he recognized he probably should eat. Having company helped with that.
"Okay," he said, voice low.
"I'll get your medicine." It was worded as a statement but spoken as an order.
"Yes ma'am," he said, only forgoing the salute because his hands were full.
"You're still an idiot." They both turned at the same time and their looks met. "But that's why we love you."
Wei Ying quickly averted his gaze back to the food, pretending that he wasn't blinking back tears.
– ♪ ♩ ♬ –
When he was in high school, Wei Ying used to think he had his entire life set in stone. Most of his classmates had grumbled and groaned about the pressure of familial expectations and filial duty, but Wei Ying had found it calming in a way. It felt like a safety net, the collar and leash denoting the care and security of an owner. As long as he did as he was told, he'd have a place to stay, food to eat, and a certain future. All things considered, this wasn't a bad prospect. So what if the collar was pulled too tight and the leash too short? It could be so much worse.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was meeting the expectations the Jiangs set for him. It was the least he could do after they took him in. They fed him, sheltered him, took him to the Doctor and paid for his education, the same private schools his siblings attended and then university, as long as his degree could be to their service. Seeing as this secured him future employment, Wei Ying saw no reason to protest. He had wanted to be useful, be of service, repay the people he owed his entire life. Nothing else had seemed as important. Even when the world around him expected him to be nothing but a foster kid fuck up, he wanted to help people.
He had never thought to meet both expectations at the same time.
After the fire, things became slightly more complicated. It was no longer his foster parents and their legacy that were most important to preserve, but the very lives of his siblings.
Confessing had been no choice.
In the grand scheme of things, if the life of the fuck up foster kid went haywire, not even a cat would wake from its nap, such little buzz it would cause. Even Obi Wan Kenobi wouldn't feel that disturbance in the force, if it could be deigned a disturbance at all.
Turned out his life wasn't all planned out.
It kinda figured. It would have been too easy.
So after some six years, one prison sentence, and a desperate but successful attempt at getting any kind of education, when fortune crossed his path once more, he distrusted it. It was too good to be true and thus, before the inevitable failure could commence, he put an end to it and fled. He believed that to be it, until two weeks later when his phone rang.
Which was how he found himself in his current situation.
"Wei Ying," Doctor Lan said, hands neatly folded in front of him on the pristine white desk. "I am glad you could make it."
He was wearing that indifferently polite smile that Wei Ying found unnerving. For one it was hard to tell whether it was genuine, for the other it was hard to read, especially if the eyes were looking straight through you.
"Why am I here?" He asked, voice low. His lower back itched.
Doctor Lan regarded him with that x-ray gaze, and Wei Ying was terrified about everything he might be seeing.
"As I initially thought," Doctor Lan started, "I haven't found any other suitable candidate. I was wondering if we could perhaps try again?"
This time his smile looked genuine. Wei Ying's heart hammered against his chest. He felt slightly light headed.
"I'm a felon," he answered because he didn't know what else to say. "I served time. Do you really want to trust me with kids?"
"Your closest friends trust you with their children," came the simple reply. Wei Ying exhaled at length. "I believe their judgment to be more informed than mine. I also intended to extend the trial period from three to six months. This would put you at a disadvantage. If this isn't an acceptable term…"
"It's fine," Wei Ying said before the Doctor could finish and looked at his hands. His fingers felt numb. He rubbed them. "Why me?"
It fell out of him before he could think better of it, but Doctor Lan didn't give him a chance to panic about it, answering right away.
"I try not to judge people by their worst mistakes," he said and this time Wei Ying really believed his smile. "And also, both nurse Luo and Doctor Wen put in a word for you. I know first hand how hard it is to earn nurse Luo's respect and while Doctor Wen is considered fresh blood, she has already gained a reputation. Hardworking, demanding and harsh, but never unfair."
"I wasn't aware you knew her personally." Wei Ying felt his head spin. Wen Qing had reached out to Doctor Lan?
"I work closely with Riverside Hospital's pediatric oncology ward. We've run into each other a few times," Doctor Lan explained then after a brief pause asked. "May I ask how you know each other?"
Technically it was none of his business, but Wei Ying knew how it might look from the outside. Usually he didn't care about it, but he also didn't want his potential future boss to get a false impression. He had been deceptive enough. Besides, it was nice of him to ask rather than assume.
"The best friend I spoke of last time, the one with the family and the kid." He waited for Doctor Lan to nod before finishing. "That's her." Then, after a brief moment of thought, in the spirit of full disclosure he added, "I'm currently staying with them."
"I see." Doctor Lan hummed and looked at him. Wei Ying held his gaze. "Monday is still suitable?"
The back of Wei Ying's neck felt numb even as he managed to nod. "Ten in the morning?"
"If you could." Doctor Lan nodded.
Silence fell between them, the expectant kind. Wei Ying inhaled deep into his lungs.
"Alright." He was afraid his answer was too silent but then a broad, unmistakable smile spread across Lan Xichen's face and Wei Ying felt all the weight lift off his heart.
"Alright," he repeated. "Fine. Yes, okay. I'll do it."
"Perfect," Doctor Lan said and stood up almost too hastily. "Nurse Luo will be happy to hear the news."
"Yeah, I bet." Wei Ying stood as well and accepted the extended hand. "She always loved to boss me around."
Doctor Lan chuckled. "Welcome to the team, nurse Wei."
